Saturday, January 5, 2013

Review & Giveaway: Prodigy by Marie Lu

June and Day arrive in
Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his
son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the
two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother
and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and
Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But
as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted
by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if
revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if
the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

My Thoughts:

He is beauty, inside and out.He is the silver lining in a world of darkness.He is my light.(This quote was taken from an uncorrected proof.)An amazing installment to the Legend
series, which only goes to show that Marie Lu’s commanding voice and
powerful narrative deserves top spot in the YA Dystopic genre! Loved
this book!!

Over a year ago, Legend
shot up to the top as my favorite dystopic series. After finishing and
loving the first book, I could not wait to get my hands on the second
installment. Luckily, I was able to get a copy of this ARC, so let me
just gush a few words about Prodigy before I really
tell you how I feel… IT.DID.NOT.DISSPOINT!! PURE.GENIUS!!! Absolutely
brilliant installment to this stand out series!! Prodigy
did what most middle books in series fail to do, which is up the stakes
in the game and create even more of an excitement for the series.

I
have to admit, now that 2012 is quickly coming to a close, I was
fortunate enough to enjoy second book installments for a few of my
favorite series including Unravel Me, Crossed, and now Prodigy.
One thing I’m excited about is that where in the past, most middle
books seem to bring the series to a standstill or just simply
disappoint, what I’ve experienced this past year for the ones I’ve
pointed out is that my top three are only getting better, which is pure
excitement!

In Prodigy, June and Day are on the
run from the Republic. When they find their way to the Patriots whose
main objective is to bring down the controlling government, June is
forced to abandon her alliances with her previous sector in order to
protect Day. A plan is formed using Day and June as the key players, but
as the stakes are raised and the truth begins to unveil itself, they
must each decided how much are they willing to sacrifice and what it
will mean for both of them?

In this book, the relationship of
June and Day really developed to a significant degree. I truly found
myself rooting for June and admiring her choices throughout this
installment. I was a bit disappointed in Day, especially after one of
their harsh encounters, but I do understand why certain things were said
and done. I feel Elector Primo Anden played a flawless role by adding
the right amount of tension and conflict in June and Day’s relationship.
I can’t wait to see how certain events play out with these three
characters, especially when June discovers what Day was unable to share
with her. That last moment was pure torture!!

Also, I have to
acknowledge the strong secondary cast of Kaede, Tess, Razor and to a
lesser degree Eden, which each served as motivating factors for both
June and Day to make hard choices and come to difficult conclusions.
They each added a layer of complexity to the story that did nothing
short of keeping me captivated in the outcome.

Overall, I’m right
back where I was over a year ago… which is chomping at the bit for the
next installment. Marie Lu has truly come to be one of my favorite YA
authors that delivers a perfect novel with an intriguing plot, well
balanced cast and perfectly executed flow. I’m hooked and I can’t wait
for her next book. Well done Ms. Lu!!

5 Snowflakes

Because we loved this book so much we are giving away a preorder of it to one lucky follower! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter! This is open to anywhere The Book Depository ships!

Well, the alley scene obviously stands out, but of course I loved so many scenes in the book! I just also loved all of the scenes dealing with June's journey to discover the truth about her brother's death. SO excited for this book!!!! :D

I really liked Legend because it did not disappoint me at all. I loved reading both June & Day pov. But what I really liked from the book was June relationship with her older bother. And Day willingness to do anything for his family.

Wonderful review Arlene! I was so heartbroken reading this. While I wasn't pleased with Day and his decisions, I hope things get fixed for him! :( I NEED for things to work out! I guess we can grill Marie when we see her in February. :)

My favorite scenes are the most emotional ones. Even though I may not enjoy what's happening, I still enjoy when an author is able to make me feel strong emotions through their writing. So my favorite scenes in Legend all happen to be the most tragic, not that I enjoy tragedy. Anyway, they're (I'll try to keep it vague so I don't spoil) when John makes a sacrifice, when John gives Day advice on staying strong, when Day is on the roof of his house, and when the people are protesting. All of these scenes made me tear up.

Amazing review! Can't wait to read this! My fave scene... I really liked the scenes with June and her brother - I loved Metias! And the scenes with June and Day, obviously! I love Day! :DThanks for the giveaway!